An ongoing description of my two years living in an art studio warehouse 2001-2003

But the events with public attendance were rare. Usually Citywide Studios was only populated by the artists who lived or worked there. The rough neighborhood and the resulting security measures prevented causal visits. It was a place that required effort to get into.

The building occupied the corner of Pierce and 15th Avenue. The parking lot was entered from the Pierce street side. Getting into the lot meant pulling up to a massive barred gate, kept locked at all times. Opening the gate was a strictly manual process-it meant getting out of your vehicle, using keys to open the lock, pushing the gate along its track of rollers, getting back into the car and pulling into the lot, and then hurrying back to roll the gate closed, and locking it.

The parking spaces were literally at our doorsteps. I’d get out of my van 3 steps from my door.